Drink supply canister for beverage dispensing apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a drink supply canister for beverage dispensing apparatus for a residential refrigerator. The beverage dispensing apparatus includes a drink supplier including a drink supply canister holder for holding a plurality of the drink supply canisters, and a plurality of valve actuators for causing the drink supply to be selectively released from the drink supply canisters, a water supplier for selectively supplying carbonated water and non-carbonated water for producing the beverages, a gas supplier for supplying CO 2  gas to carbonate the carbonated water provided by the water supplier and for supplying CO 2  gas or other gas for pressurizing the drink supply canisters to provide a consistent flow rate of the drink supply from the drink supply canisters, and one or more beverage requesters for enabling users to request one of a plurality of beverages.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/589,725 filed Jun. 8, 2000, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and relied upon.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to the following commonly owned co-pendingpatent applications: “Beverage Distribution and Dispensing System andMethod,” Ser. No. 09/589,725, (Referenced Above); and “Appliance SupplyDistribution, Dispensing and Use System and Method,” Ser. No.09/790,349, “Beverage Dispensing Apparatus,” Ser. No. 10/007,419,“Beverage Dispensing Apparatus Having Fluid Director,” Ser. No.10/007,059, “Beverage Dispensing Apparatus Having Drink Supply CanisterHolder,” Ser. No. 10/011,173, and “Beverage Dispensing Apparatus HavingCarbonated And Non-Carbonated Water Supplier,” Ser. No. 10/007,438.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or maycontain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyrightowner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of thepatent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appearsin the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwisereserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates in general to a drink supply canister forbeverage dispensing apparatus, and in particular to a drink supplycanister for beverage dispensing apparatus for a residentialrefrigerator which produces and dispenses carbonated and non-carbonatedbeverages from a plurality of the drink supply canisters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many households in the United States and throughout the world consumelarge volumes of beverages such as soft drinks, sodas, juices, lemonade,teas, isotonics, fruit drinks and other beverages on a daily basis. Forinstance, in 1998 retail sales of soft drinks in the United States wereapproximately 54 billion dollars, retail sales of fruit drinks in theUnited States were approximately 17.5 billion dollars and retail salesof isotonics in the United States were approximately 2.25 billiondollars.

Manufacturers in the beverage industry produce packaged beverages forconsumers in the form of bottles, cans and cartons. They also produceliquid and powder beverage concentrates which require consumerpreparation. Preparing beverages from concentrate by hand can beburdensome, time consuming and monotonous. Producing carbonatedbeverages from concentrate in homes using know commercial equipment isimpractical because special equipment and supplies are required. Suchhome mixed beverages are often of inconsistent quality and flavor.

For those who choose not to prepare beverages from concentrates,maintaining an adequate supply of packaged ready-to-drink beverages canbe relatively burdensome for families which experience a largeconsumption of beverages. Beverage containers, consisting largely ofwater, are somewhat heavy, and such beverage containers occupysubstantial space in refrigerators. In many families, at least once perweek, family members stock their refrigerators with packaged beveragesbecause of limited refrigerator space. The amount of availablerefrigerator space limits a family's supply of refrigeratedready-to-drink beverages.

One way of minimizing a family's beverage supply tasks is by using arefrigerator which produces and dispenses ready-to-drink beverages. Anumber of beverage dispensing devices have been proposed specificallyfor household refrigerators, some of which involve producing carbonatedbeverages. The most common device enables consumers to dispense waterand ice from a dispenser built into the exterior of a refrigerator door.Such types of dispensers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,956,967 and6,039,219. Other dispensers enable consumers to dispense ready-to-drinkbeverages. Certain of these devices involve a connection between abeverage container in the refrigerator and a spout attached to theoutside of the refrigerator. Pumping and other approaches have also beensuggested to move the ready-to-drink beverage from the container throughthe spout. Devices such as these are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,791,523, 5,791,517, 5,542,265 and 4,930,666.

One refrigerator dispenser, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,903,involves the mixing of syrup and water and the dispensing ofnon-carbonated beverages. Another refrigerator dispenser disclosed inU.S. Reissue Pat. No. Re. 32,179 involves the mixing of syrup andcarbonated water and the dispensing of carbonated beverages.

One problem with these refrigerator dispensers is the need to cleanthem. Since the refrigerator dispensers house and distribute consumablebeverages, the dispenser components which come into contact with fluidsmust be cleaned to avoid bacteria growth and other contamination. Theexisting refrigerator dispensers include a relatively high number ofseparate components which require regular cleansing to preventcontamination. Furthermore, many of the components are not removable,and many are difficult to fully clean. Therefore, it is inconvenient andin many cases not possible to fully clean the components of thecurrently known refrigerator dispensers without disassembling thesedispensers.

Although known refrigerator devices may enable users to dispensecarbonated and non-carbonated beverages from residential refrigerators,the construction of these devices is relatively complex, and the use,supply and maintenance of these devices is relatively inconvenient,cumbersome, time consuming and generally impractical. Additionally, suchknow devices do not solve problems such as cross-contamination ofdifferent beverages. Thus, while the patents indicated above disclosebeverage dispensing mechanisms, there is no known commercially availablerefrigerator system for dispensing ready-to-drink beverages whicheliminate cross-contamination problems.

Dispensing machines in commercial establishments are also well known forproducing concentrate-based beverages. These machines, often found inrestaurants and eateries, typically involve the mixing of syrup andcarbonated or non-carbonated water and the dispensing of beverages, suchas soda. Commercial machines such as these are disclosed in U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,647,512, 5,392,960 and 4,993,604. However, such commercialmachines have not been suitably adapted for residential or home use oruse in conjunction with residential refrigerators.

Countertop units for dispensing beverages have also been developed. Forinstance, Bev Star, Inc. produces a three drink countertop dispenser.However, such countertop units take up substantial additional counterspace which is highly undesirable in most households. These devices alsoonly dispense a limited number of drinks. Such countertop units may havevalve brixing problems, mechanical failures and general reliabilityissues. Countertop units also utilize mechanical refrigeration to chillthe water, which adds tremendous costs to the potential home consumer,thus adding to the impracticability of the application for the homeuser.

Accordingly, the assignee of the present invention owns U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/589,725 entitled “Beverage Distribution andDispensing System and Method” which discloses and claims a beveragedistribution and dispensing system which enables users to dispense aplurality of beverages from a residential refrigerator, which tracksbeverage consumption and the use of the drink supply and CO₂ supply,which automatically orders drink supply and CO₂ supply as necessary,which facilitates the delivery of drink supply and CO₂ supply to theusers, which enables the users to determine beverage consumption and tochange the dispensed beverages, and which reduces the need to storeconventional beverage containers in the refrigerators of the users.

The present invention provides an improved beverage dispensing apparatuswhich is adapted to be used in conjunction with the beveragedistribution system disclosed in that U.S. patent application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The beverage dispensing apparatus of the present invention is preferablyhoused within a residential refrigerator to enable consumers topractically, conveniently and reliably produce and dispensenon-carbonated and carbonated beverages from their refrigerators. Thedispensing apparatus also facilitates the commercial availability andstandardized manufacture and distribution of drink supply canisters andCO₂ gas supply canisters for residential refrigerators.

For purposes of this application, the term: (a) “user” or “users”includes users of the beverage dispensing apparatus of the presentinvention such as users, consumers, household members and otheroperators of the apparatus;

-   -   (b) “beverage dispensing apparatus” is alternatively referred to        as “dispensing apparatus” or “beverage dispenser”; (c)        “beverage” includes any ready-to-drink liquid; and (d) “drink        supply” includes any liquid, which in and of itself, is a        ready-to-drink liquid or any liquid or non-liquid which requires        the addition of carbonated or non-carbonated water or other        fluid(s) in order to become a ready-to-drink beverage including,        but not limited to, any syrup or concentrate which consists of        predetermined percentages of water and flavoring or sugar.

Generally, one embodiment of the beverage dispensing apparatus of thepresent invention includes: (a) a drink supplier including a drinksupply canister holder for holding or maintaining at least one andpreferably a plurality of drink supply canisters, and at least one andpreferably a plurality of valve actuators for causing the drink supplyto be selectively released from the drink supply canisters; (b) a watersupplier for selectively supplying carbonated water and non-carbonatedwater for producing the beverages; (c) a gas supplier for supplying CO₂gas to carbonate the carbonated water provided by the water supplier,and in one embodiment, for supplying CO₂ gas or other gas forpressurizing the drink supply canisters to provide a consistent flowrate of the drink supply from the drink supply canisters; (d) a beveragecontainer compartment for holding a beverage collector or container suchas a glass, cup or pitcher; (e) in one embodiment, a fluid director forfacilitating the mixing of the drink supply from one of the drink supplycanisters and the carbonated or non-carbonated water from the watersupplier and for directing the mixed beverage to the beverage containercompartment; (f) a controller or dispensing computer or processor forcontrolling and tracking the dispensing of drink supply and carbonatedor non-carbonated water; and (g) one or more suitable beveragerequesters (such as indicators, actuators, buttons, a touch panel or atouch screen) for enabling users to request one of a plurality ofbeverages.

In one alternative embodiment of the present invention, the gas supplierincludes an air pressurizer or pressurization device for pressurizingthe drink supply canisters to reduce the volume of CO₂ gas used by thedispensing apparatus.

In one preferred alternative embodiment, the drink supply and carbonatedor non-carbonated water is directed directly to a beverage container inthe beverage container compartment (i.e., without a fluid director) toeliminate any potential cross-contamination and the need to regularlyclean the fluid director. These and other alternative embodiments of thepresent invention are discussed in more detail below.

Generally, in operation, after the user installs the drink supplycanisters, the CO₂ gas or other pressurized gas from the gas supplierpressurizes the drink supply canisters. When a user desires to obtain abeverage, the user makes the user's request through the beveragerequester which is preferably connected to or in communication with thedispensing computer or controller. The controller determines the user'srequest and generates a beverage dispense signal. Upon receiving abeverage dispense signal from the controller, the appropriate drinksupply outlet valve actuator associated with the appropriate drinksupply outlet valve in the appropriate drink supply canister opens for apredetermined period of time to dispense the appropriate amount of drinksupply from the drink supply canister. This drink supply is directedinto one of the channels of the fluid director (or in the alternativeembodiment directly into the beverage container). Simultaneously, uponreceiving a beverage request signal from the controller, the watersupplier directs the appropriate amount of carbonated or non-carbonatedwater into the same channel of the fluid director (or in the alternativeembodiment directly into the same beverage container). The drink and thecarbonated or non-carbonated water mix in that channel of the fluiddirector (or in the alternative embodiment, mix as both the drink supplyand carbonated or non-carbonated water are directed into the beveragecontainer), and the fluid director directs the mixed drink supply andthe carbonated or non-carbonated water (i.e., the beverage) to thebeverage container compartment.

The drink supply canister holder is preferably built into or constructedwithin the freezer compartment door or refrigerator compartment door,and includes drink supply canister slots or areas for receiving andholding the plurality of drink supply canisters. The drink supplycanister holder enables users to remove used drink supply canisters andinsert new drink supply canisters into the drink supply canister holder.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drink supplycanister is a pressurizable encasement which has a gas inlet valve and adrink supply outlet valve. One embodiment of the gas inlet valve is aspring activated valve which is predisposed to be normally closed toprevent the flow of gas into or out of the drink supply canister. Whenthe gas inlet valve is depressed or activated, gas such as CO₂ orpressurized air is communicated through the gas inlet valve into thedrink supply canister. One embodiment of the drink supply outlet valveincludes a sealing member which is positioned in the bottom wall or endof the canister such that the sealing member can be tilted or displacedhorizontally. The drink supply outlet valve maintains a seal on theinside of the canister when the drink supply canister is pressurized.When the sealing member is displaced, the sealing member unseats, andthe drink supply outlet valve opens and causes pressurized drink supplyto flow from the drink supply canister. One or more valve actuators aremounted to or adjacent to the drink supply canister holder. When a useractivates a beverage requester, a controller causes one of the valveactuators to engage and displace the sealing member of the drink supplyoutlet valve for a predetermined amount of time, which in turn causesdrink supply to flow from the drink supply canister. After apredetermined time period elapses, the valve actuator disengages thesealing member, stopping the flow of drink supply from the drink supplycanister. It should be appreciated that the present inventioncontemplates alternative suitable gas inlet valves, drink supply outletvalves and drink supply outlet valve actuators as discussed below.

The water supplier of the present invention provides carbonated andnon-carbonated water to the fluid director or directly to the beveragecontainer in the beverage container compartment for mixing thebeverages. The water supplier is connected to a drinkable water source,such as a conventional cold water source commonly available inresidential kitchens. One embodiment of the water supplier includes aholding tank which stores a sufficient supply of water. The water supplyfrom the holding tank is used if a user requests the dispensingapparatus to dispense non-carbonated water alone or if the dispensingapparatus requires substantial amounts of non-carbonated water. Thewater supplier also includes a carbonation tank connected to the gassupplier. The carbonation tank uses CO₂ gas obtained from the CO₂ gassupply canister and particularly the gas supplier to carbonate thewater.

In one embodiment, a carbonated water supply line and a non-carbonatedwater supply line are each separately mounted above the fluid directoror directly above the beverage container compartment. In one embodiment,the water supplier includes a plurality of carbonated water valves andnon-carbonated water valves. The carbonated water valves are connectedto the carbonated water line, and the non-carbonated water valves areconnected to the non-carbonated water line. A water valve actuator ismounted adjacent to and connected to each carbonated water valve andeach non-carbonated water valve. When a user activates a beveragerequester, the controller causes a water valve actuator to engage andopen a carbonated water valve or a non-carbonated water valve locatedabove a particular channel of the fluid director or directly above thebeverage container compartment. The actuator maintains the valve openfor a predetermined amount of time. After such time elapses, the watervalve actuator allows the valve to close. In another embodimentillustrated, the carbonated water line is connected to a singlemulti-way carbonated water valve, and the non-carbonated water line isconnected to a single multi-way non-carbonated water valve. When a useractivates a beverage requester, the water valve actuator causes amulti-way valve to open and direct water to one of a plurality ofchannels for a predetermined period of time.

It should be appreciated that the drink supply outlet valve actuatorsand the water valve actuators can be constructed such that both causethe respective valves to open for the time period during which thebeverage requester is activated by the user. In such case, the exactamount of drink supply and carbonated and/or non-carbonated water aredispensed simultaneously to form the beverage.

One preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a pluralityof water dispensers connected to the carbonated and non-carbonated waterlines. The water dispensers are disposed between or connected to eachpair of carbonated water valves and non-carbonated water valves overeach channel entrance of the fluid director or over the predeterminedlocation or slot for each beverage container in the embodiments withoutthe fluid director. Depending on the request by the user and the type ofbeverages dispensed, either the non-carbonated water valve or thecarbonated water valve will open and allow non-carbonated water orcarbonated water to flow into the water dispenser. The water dispenserdiffuses and directs the water into the appropriate channel of the fluiddirector or directly into the drink supply steam and the appropriatebeverage container in the beverage container compartment. It should beappreciated that for some beverages, both the carbonated andnon-carbonated water will be employed to create the correct mixture forthe carbonated beverage.

In one embodiment, each water dispenser is a substantially cylindricalring or tube referred to herein as a water ring. The water ring definesa central opening or aperture which enables the drink supply to flowthrough the water ring. The water ring includes a plurality ofrelatively small openings or orifices along its lower or innercircumference. When water flows into the water ring from one of thewater valves, the water flows through the orifices, forming a spray orother relatively even distribution of water. The drink supply outletvalve of the drink supply canister is positioned over the centralopening of the water ring to direct the drink supply into the channel ofthe fluid director or directly into the beverage container through thewater ring. This causes the drink supply and the water to mix on the flyin the desired ratios. It should be appreciated that the water ring doesnot need to be cylindrical or completely cylindrical as discussed indetail below.

The gas supplier of the beverage dispenser includes one or more, andpreferably a plurality of gas supply canisters which contain CO₂ gas. Inone embodiment, the gas supplier includes a gas supply canister holderadapted to hold at least one and preferably a plurality of gas supplycanisters. The gas supply canister holder may be attached to or mountedin the freezer compartment door, refrigerator compartment door or anysuitable location in or connected to the refrigerator. Each gas supplycanister includes a gas supply canister valve. The gas supplier includesa gas line connected to the gas supply canister holder or frame, andadapted to direct the gas to a gas manifold which equalizes orsubstantially equalizes the pressurized gas provided by each gas supplycanister and provides a single stream of gas. In one embodiment, the gasstream serves a dual purpose and in particular is provided to pressurizethe drink supply canisters and to carbonate the water in the carbonationtank for the production of carbonated water. In another embodiment, thegas stream is used to carbonate the water in the carbonation tank and anindependent gas pressurizer is provided to pressurize the drink supplycanisters.

In one embodiment, the controller includes a computer and electroniccomponents and connections. The computer includes at least one processorand one or more memory devices for storing data and at least oneactuation program, routine or module. The actuation program provides theprocessor with instructions for controlling the operation (including thesynchronization) of the drink supply and water supply actuators andvalves for providing the correct brix ratios for different beverages. Itshould be appreciated that the actuation program will include theappropriate brix ratios for the different beverages adapted to bedispensed from the beverage dispenser of the present invention. Itshould also be appreciated that the controller or the beverage requestercan include an input mechanism which enables a user to select the typeof beverage being dispensed.

It should also be appreciated that the dispensing apparatus of thepresent invention can be adapted to communicate electronically with anycomputer dispensing apparatus or electronic network. In one embodiment,the computer of the controller can electronically communicate with anorder processing dispensing apparatus through communication channelssuch as existing telephone lines, cable lines, wireless communicationsor the Internet as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/589,725.

The beverage dispensing apparatus of the present invention therebyenables users to produce and dispense carbonated and non-carbonatedbeverages from their refrigerators. The dispensing apparatus provides arelatively high degree of consistent control over fluid flow rates andfluid mixing. The dispensing apparatus achieves this level of controlthrough the use of pressurized drink supply canisters andcomputer-controlled valve activation. In addition, the drink supplycanisters and gas supply containers are constructed in such a manner soas to facilitate their standardization, manufacture andcommercialization on a large scale basis.

It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide abeverage dispensing apparatus.

A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a beveragedispensing apparatus which dispenses a plurality of carbonated andnon-carbonated drinks from a residential refrigerator.

Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a beveragedispensing apparatus for refrigerators which has reliable and consistentcontrol over the flow of drink supply and water.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a beveragedispensing apparatus for refrigerators which includes pressurized drinksupply canisters allowing for a relatively high degree of control overdrink flow.

Still another advantage of the present invention is to provide abeverage dispensing apparatus for refrigerators which has computercontrol over drink supply and water flow.

A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a beveragedispensing apparatus for refrigerators which is relatively convenient touse and maintain.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to likeparts, elements, components, steps and processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a refrigerator havingthe beverage dispensing apparatus of one embodiment of the presentinvention, illustrating the drink supply canister access door, drinksupply canisters, beverage container compartment, beverage container,fluid director and beverage requestors.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the interior compartment ofthe refrigerator illustrating the beverage dispensing apparatus of FIG.1, and specifically illustrating one embodiment of drink supply canisterholder, one embodiment of gas supply canister holder, one embodiment ofgas supplier and one embodiment of water supplier.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1schematically illustrating the drink supply canisters, water supplier,gas supplier, fluid director and controller or dispensing computer.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the exterior ofthe refrigerator of FIG. 1 illustrating a person inserting a drinksupply canister in the drink supply canister holder in the refrigerator.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the exterior ofthe refrigerator of FIG. 1 illustrating a person inserting the fluiddirector into the refrigerator.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the exterior ofthe refrigerator of FIG. 1 shown with the drink supply canister accessdoor and locking member in a closed position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the exterior ofthe refrigerator of FIG. 1 with the drink supply access door in a closedposition, a partially broken away view of the fluid director access doorin a closed position, a user's hand touching a beverage requestor andthe beverage being dispensed.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary front perspective view of a drink supplycanister holder of the embodiment of the dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1shown removed from the refrigerator.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of a drink supply canisterholder of the embodiment of the dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1 shownremoved from the refrigerator.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a drink supply canister positioned inrelation to part of the water supplier, the fluid director and abeverage container of the embodiment of the dispensing apparatus of FIG.1.

FIG. 11A is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view of a drinksupply canister, part of the water supplier including the water valvesand value actuators and the fluid director of the embodiment of thedispensing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11B is an enlarged fragmentary side perspective view of a drinksupply canister, part of the water supplier including the water rings,the water valves and valve actuators and the fluid director of theembodiment of the dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11C is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of part of thewater supplier including an alternative embodiment of the water ring ofthe present invention.

FIG. 11D is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a furtheralternative embodiment of the water supplier including an alternativeembodiment of the water tube of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of part of the water supplier includingthe water dispenser or water ring, and the fluid director of embodimentof the dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of part of the watersupplier including the water dispenser or water ring directing waterinto the fluid director of the embodiment of the dispensing apparatus ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a water supplier illustrating watersupply lines, a multi-way carbonated water valve, a multi-waynon-carbonated water valve, valve actuators and a fluid director of analternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the fluid director of the embodiment ofthe dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of the fluid director of theembodiment of the dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1 shown partially brokenaway to illustrate the channels in the fluid director.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the drink supplycanister relative to the drink supply canister holder and the drinksupply valve actuator for the drink supply outlet valve in theembodiment of the dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 17A is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the drink supplycanister and an alternative embodiment of the drink supply valveactuator.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the top end of the drink supplycanister having the gas inlet valve in the embodiment of the dispensingapparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 19 is a bottom perspective view of the drink supply canisterillustrating the drink supply outlet valve of the embodiment of thedispensing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of the drinksupply canister securing member of the drink supply canister holder inopen position and the drink supply canister which illustrates oneembodiment of the gas inlet valve actuator not engaging the gas inletvalve in the drink supply canister.

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of the drinksupply canister securing member of the drink supply canister holder inthe closed position, the drink supply canister, the drink supplycanister support and the drink supply outlet valve which illustrates thedrink supply outlet valve actuator engaging the drink supply outletvalve in the drink supply canister and the gas inlet valve actuatorengaging the gas inlet valve in the drink supply canister.

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of the gas supply canister holder, gassupply canisters, gas manifold, gas pressure regulator and two-way gasvalve of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of the gas supply canister holder, gassupply canisters, gas supply canister binder, gas manifold, gas pressureregulator and two-way gas valve of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 24A is a fragmentary perspective view of an alternative embodimentof the present invention shown removed from the refrigerator andincluding the drink supply canister holder, a drink supply canister, afluid director and a gas supplier.

FIGS. 24B, 24C and 24D are fragmentary perspective views of analternative embodiment of the present invention shown removed from therefrigerator and including the beverage requesters, drink supplier,water supplier and gas supplier.

FIG. 25 is a fragmentary perspective view of the exterior of therefrigerator of an alternative embodiment of the present inventionhaving a rotating or pivoting drink supply canister holder.

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary perspective view of the exterior of therefrigerator of a further alternative embodiment of the presentinvention having a sliding drink supply canister access door.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of afluid director of the present invention including carbonated waterinlets and non-carbonated water inlets.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of thebeverage dispenser having an alternative embodiment of the fluiddirector of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the position ofdrink supply canister relative to the position of the water dispenser ofone alternative embodiment of the present invention and illustrating inphantom the actuation of the drink supply outlet valve, the dispensingof the drink supply from the drink supply outlet valve and the waterfrom the water dispenser directly into a beverage collector.

FIGS. 30A and 30B are fragmentary perspective views of alternativeembodiments of the drink supply canister of the present invention and agas injector adapted to engage the drink supply canister.

FIG. 31 is a flow diagram of the operation of one embodiment of thedispensing apparatus of the present invention.

FIGS. 32, 33, 34 and 35 are fragmentary perspective views of arefrigerator door and an alternative embodiment of the drink supplycanister holder of the present invention which illustrates part of thedrink supply canister holder pivoting toward the interior of therefrigerator, the placement of drink supply canisters in the drinksupply canister holder and the actuation of the drink supply securingmember of the canister holder.

FIG. 36A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the drinksupply canister holder of the present invention illustrated removed froma door of the refrigerator and illustrating the drink supply canistersmounted in this holder.

FIG. 36B is an interior view of the drink supply canister holder of FIG.36A.

FIG. 36C is a side view of the drink supply canister holder of FIG. 36Aillustrating the rotation of one of the individual independent canisterholders or compartments rotated to an accessible position.

FIGS. 37A to 37F are perspective views of a further alternativeembodiment of the beverage dispenser of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION General Description of FluidDirector Embodiment

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6 and 7, one embodiment of the beverage dispenser or beverage dispensingapparatus of the present invention, generally indicated by numeral 10,is adapted to be mounted in a housing and particularly in a refrigerator12. The refrigerator 12 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 is aresidential side-by-side refrigerator which includes a freezercompartment door 14, a refrigeration compartment door 16, a freezercompartment 18 and a refrigeration compartment 20. The refrigerator 12also includes standard refrigerator components such as a refrigerationsystem including a compressor (not shown). The refrigerator 12 may alsoinclude a water filter or filtration system and water routing system(not shown) integrated with the beverage dispenser or alternativelyseparate from the beverage dispenser 10. It should be appreciated thatthe beverage dispenser of the present invention may be adapted for anysuitable refrigerator or other such suitable housing or structure.

As generally illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the beverage dispenser orbeverage dispensing apparatus 10 of one embodiment of the presentinvention includes: (a) a drink supplier 21 including a drink supplycanister holder or frame 22 for receiving and holding or maintaining atleast one and preferably a plurality of drink supply containers orcanisters 24, and at least one and preferably a plurality of drinksupply valve actuators (see FIG. 10) for causing the drink supply to beselectively released from the drink supply canisters 24; (b) a watersupplier 26 for selectively supplying carbonated water andnon-carbonated water for mixing or making the beverages; (c) a gassupplier 28 for supplying CO₂ gas to carbonate the carbonated waterprovided by the water supplier 26, and for supplying CO₂ gas or othergas such as air from an air pressurizer (not shown) for pressurizing thedrink supply containers or canisters 24; (d) a beverage containercompartment 30 for holding the beverage collectors or containers 32 suchas a glass, cup or pitcher; (e) a fluid director 34 for facilitating themixing of the drink supply from one of the drink supply containers orcanisters 24 and the carbonated or non-carbonated water from the watersupplier 26 and for directing the mixed beverage to the beveragecontainer compartment 30; (f) a controller 38 for controlling andtracking the dispensing of drink supply and carbonated andnon-carbonated water; and (g) one or more suitable beverage requesters36 (such as indicators, buttons, actuators, sensors, a keyboard, touchpanel, touch screen or any combination thereof) for enabling a user torequest one of a plurality of beverages. These components are allpreferably mounted in the refrigerator 12, although it should beappreciated that one or more of these components could be mountedadjacent to, in a structure adjacent to or spaced apart from therefrigerator.

As further generally illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in operation ofthis embodiment, after the user installs the drink supply canisters 24(and closes the drink supply canister access door 40 as discussedbelow), the gas inlet valve (discussed below) associated with each drinksupply canister 24 allows the CO₂ gas (or other pressurized gas) to flowfrom the gas supplier 28 into that drink supply canister 24. Thispressurizes the drink supply canister 24. When a user desires to obtaina beverage, the user makes the user's request through one of thebeverage requesters 36 which is connected to or in communication withthe controller 38 as illustrated in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 3, thecontroller 38 generates the appropriate beverage dispense signal. Uponreceiving a beverage dispense signal from the controller 38, the drinksupply outlet valve (discussed below) associated with the appropriatedrink supply canister 24 is opened or opens to dispense the appropriateamount of drink supply from the drink supply canister 24. This drinksupply flows into one of the channels of the fluid director 34 asgenerally illustrated in FIG. 7. Simultaneously, upon receipt of abeverage dispense signal from the controller 38, the water supplier 26directs the appropriate amount of carbonated or non-carbonated waterinto the same channel of the fluid director 34 as discussed below and asillustrated in FIG. 7. The drink and the carbonated or non-carbonatedwater mix in that channel of the fluid director 34, and the fluiddirector directs the mixture of the drink and the carbonated ornon-carbonated water (i.e., the beverage) to the beverage containercompartment 30. The channel of the fluid director 34 directs thebeverage into a beverage container 32 such as a glass, cup or pitcher asillustrated in FIG. 7.

As mentioned above, other alternative embodiments of the beveragedispensing apparatus of the present do not include a fluid director. Thedrink supplier and the water supplier respectively, direct the drinksupply from the appropriate drink supply canister and the carbonated ornon-carbonated water directly into the beverage containers as discussedin more detail below.

Drink Supply Canister Holder or Frame

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the drinksupply canister holder or frame 22 is built into or constructed withinan insulated area of the freezer compartment door 14. It should beappreciated that the drink canister holder or frame 22 can alternativelybe built into the refrigerator compartment door 16 or the refrigeratorcompartment 20. It should also be appreciated that the drink canisterholder or frame 22 can also be built into the freezer compartment 18 ifsuitably insulated to prevent the drink supply in the drink supplycanisters 24 from freezing. In one embodiment of the present invention,a suitable drink supply canister access door 40 is pivotally attached tothe holder 22 or, alternatively, the freezer compartment door 14, forproviding users access to the drink supply canisters 24 in the holder 22as generally illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7. This enables theuser to easily replace the drink supply canisters 24. It should beappreciated that the drink supply canister access door 40 alternativelymay be located in the interior of the refrigerator 12 and also that anysuitable access door or access mechanism may be used in conjunction withthe drink supply canister holder of the present invention. For instance,the drink supply access door may be connected to the holder 22 orfreezer compartment door 14 in any suitable movable fashion such as ahorizontally disposed sliding door (not shown) or a vertically disposedsliding door (40 b) as illustrated in FIG. 26 and discussed below.Alternatively, the entire drink supply canister holder or frame 22 acould be pivotally mounted in the door (or other part of therefrigerator) as illustrated in FIG. 25 and discussed below. The drinksupply canister holder may be further alternatively constructed asillustrated in FIGS. 36A to 36C where each drink supply canister isindividually held by a separate compartment as also further discussedbelow.

As further illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 8 and 9, one embodimentof the drink supply canister holder 22 includes a drink supply canistersupport 42, a vertically extending exterior drink supply canister guideor member 44 connected to the drink supply canister support 42, asubstantially vertically extending interior drink supply canister guideor member 46 connected to the drink supply canister support 42 and adrink supply canister securing member 48 pivotally connected to theinterior member 46. In this illustrated embodiment, the drink supplycanister support 42 includes drink supply canister receptacles or slots50 a, 50 b, 50 c and 50 d, respectively, for receiving and holding thedrink supply canisters. Likewise, securing member 48 includes drinksupply canister receptacles or slots 52 a, 52 b, 52 c and 52 d forreceiving, maintaining and securing the drink supply canisters in theholder 56. In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated inFIGS. 1, 2 and 4 through 9, the drink supply canister frame or holder 22holds four drink supply canisters 24. It should be appreciated that thenumber of beverages provided by the beverage dispenser of the presentinvention could vary and that the number of drink supply canisters anddrink supply canister receptacles will vary depending on the number ofbeverages which the manufacturer desires the refrigerator to dispense.In the illustrated embodiment, the canister securing member 48 includesa plurality of gas supplier valves 54 a, 54 b, 54 c and 54 d which arepart of the gas supplier 28 and are generally illustrated in FIGS. 8 and9 and described in more detail below. It should be appreciated thatalternative embodiments of the gas supplier and gas supplier valves arefurther discussed in detail below.

In this embodiment, the drink supply canister access door 40 isconnected to the securing member 48 in such a manner that: (a) thesecuring member 48 opens when the drink supply canister access door 40opens; and (b) the securing member 48 closes when the drink supplycanister access door 40 closes. When the securing member 48 and drinksupply canister access door 40 are open, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 8and 9, a user can remove used or empty drink supply canisters and insertnew or filled drink supply canisters into the drink supply canisterholder 22. In this embodiment, the securing member 48 is directlyattached to the drink supply canister access door 40 by a suitablemechanical link 56 (fragmentarily illustrated) between the drink supplycanister access door 40 and the securing member 48. Link 56 includes twoconnecting bars 58 a and 58 b which pivotally connect (not shown) thedrink supply canister access door 40 to the securing member 48. Itshould be appreciated that the simultaneous actuation of the drinksupply canister access door 40 and securing member 48 may beaccomplished using any suitable mechanical or electro-mechanicalmechanism or linkage including, without limitation, electronic switches,motors or other electrical devices.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, one embodiment of the presentinvention includes a drink supply canister holder 22 having a verticallysliding access door lock 60 which locks the securing member 48 in placeand prevents the drink supply canister access door 40 from opening whenin the locked position. It should be appreciated that the presentinvention can include any suitable locking device for keeping the drinksupply canister access door closed and locked, and that the lock may belocated on the interior of the refrigerator 12 for aesthetic reasons.The present invention further contemplates that the lock could also oralternatively lock the drink supply canister holder in the closedposition. It should also be appreciated that the beverage requesters orother control device could be used to unlock, open or provide access tothe drink supply canisters. It should further be appreciated that thelock may alternatively be electrically operated such as by a solenoidwhich is controlled by a user activator or indicator.

In the illustrated embodiment, when the securing member 48 closes, thecanister receptacles 52 a, 52 b, 52 c and 52 d engage and fit over thedrink supply canisters 24 to restrict their movement. Additionally, whenthe securing member 48 closes, the gas supplier valves 54 a, 54 b, 54 cand 54 d also depress the gas inlet valves (discussed below) in thedrink supply canisters 24 to enable CO₂ gas (or another pressurized gassuch as air) to flow into and pressurize the drink supply canisters 24as discussed in more detail below. It should further be appreciated thata suitable alternative apparatus or method may be employed to pressurizethe drink supply containers as discussed below. For instance, the gassupplier valves may include direct gas injectors as discussed below.

In one embodiment, the drink supply canister holder 22 and the drinksupply canisters 24 include co-acting mating members (not shown) whichensure that suitable drink supply canisters are used in connection withthe beverage dispenser 10. The present invention contemplates that onemating member may be disposed on each drink supply canister and theother mating member for each drink supply canister is disposed on thedrink supply canister holder 22, such as in the drink supply canistersupport 42. The mating members enable the drink supply canister holder22 to receive only predetermined drink supply canisters 24, therebyensuring that users use only appropriate drink supply canisters in thebeverage dispenser of the present invention. In one example embodiment,the canister receptacles 50 a to 50 d and/or canister receptacles 52 ato 52 d have a predetermined or predefined shape (such as an irregularshape). In such case, one or both ends of the drink supply canisters 24have co-acting or mating predetermined shapes which enable the drinksupply canisters 24 to fit into such receptacles. It should beappreciated that the present invention contemplates a suitable adapteror converter which enables a non-mating drink supply canister to matewith the canister receptacles or to otherwise be installed in thebeverage dispensing apparatus and particularly the drink supply canisterholder of the present invention. These embodiments protect the integrityof the drink supply used by the beverage dispenser. It should beappreciated that the co-acting mating members could also limit the typesof drinks dispensed from certain slots. This could be employed such thatonly certain beverages can be dispensed from certain slots.

It should also be appreciated that the controller may be adapted todetermine if a suitable drink supply canister is being used in the drinksupply canister holder using sensors, switches or other suitablemechanisms which prevent the operation with incompatible drink supplycanisters.

Drink Supply Containers

Referring now also to FIGS. 10, 11A to 11D, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17A,18, 19, 20 and 21, in one embodiment of the present invention, as seenspecifically in FIGS. 18 to 21, the drink supply container or canister24 is a pressurizable, cylindrical shaped encasement which has acylindrical wall or body 62 having top and bottom ends, a gas inletvalve 64 and a drink supply outlet valve 66. The drink supply canister24 can be constructed of any suitable type of material, having any wallthickness which is suitable for safely retaining gas and fluidpreferably within the pressure range of one (1) pound per square inch(“PSI”) to one hundred (100) PSI. One preferred embodiment of the drinksupply canister 24 is constructed from polyethelyneterathilate (“PET”),having a wall thickness of approximately 38 G PRsform, length of 247.20and diameter of 73 mm, and adapted to hold a 24 oz. volume of drinksupply.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the technique for fillingdrink supply canisters can be substantially the same as the techniquepresently used when filling soft drink cans, bottles or containers.Specifically, the cylindrical wall 62 and one end of the canister can beintegrally formed, filled with drink supply and then capped by the otherend of the canister which is press fit or otherwise attached to thecylindrical wall 62.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the gas inlet valve 64 orthe drink supply outlet valve 66 can be used for drink supply fillingpurposes. The drink supply canister 24 can be filled with drink supplyby routing drink supply through either of these valves. For instance,part or all of the gas inlet valve may serve as a dual purpose device.The initial purpose is as a filling device during the production andpackaging process at the bottling facility. The second purpose is forfacilitating the flow of CO₂ or other pressurized gas into the drinksupply canister to pressurize the canister. As discussed below, the CO₂gas or pressurized air is communicated through the inlet to providepressure to the drink supply canister to facilitate consistent drinksupply delivery at desired pressure and flow rates to the drink supplyoutlet valve 66.

In one embodiment, the gas inlet valve 64 is attached to, connected toor otherwise suitably formed in one surface and in one embodiment thetop surface of the drink supply canister 24. One embodiment of the gasinlet valve 64 is a spring activated valve which is predisposed to benormally closed to prevent the flow of gas into or out of the drinksupply canister 24. When the gas inlet valve 64 is depressed oractuated, gas flows through the gas inlet valve 64 into the drink supplycanister 24. The gas inlet valve 64 illustrated in FIGS. 18, 20 and 21includes a spring or biasing member 68 and a sealing member 70. Asfurther described below, in this embodiment, the closing of the drinksupply canister securing member 48 causes gas inlet valve 64 to bedepressed as specifically illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21. It should beappreciated that any suitable gas inlet valve may be employed in thedrink supply canister of the present invention as further discussedbelow. It should also be appreciated that the gas inlet valve may beremovably connected to the body of the drink supply canister.

In one embodiment, the drink supply outlet valve 66 is attached to,connected to or otherwise suitably formed in one surface and preferablythe bottom surface of the drink supply canister 24 as illustrated inFIGS. 19, 20 and 21. One embodiment of the drink outlet valve 66includes a sealing member 74 which is positioned in the bottom wall orend 72 of the drink supply canister such that the sealing member 74 canbe tilted or displaced horizontally. In this embodiment, a spout 76 isattached to the bottom wall 72 and surrounds the sealing member 74.Spout 76 is movably attached to the bottom wall 72 with suitableflexible snap fittings. Spout 76 is preferably cylindrical or conical inshape having opposing open ends. In this embodiment, the drink supplyoutlet valve 66 maintains a seal on the inside of the body of the drinksupply canister 24 when the drink supply canister 24 is pressurized. Inthis embodiment, the drink supply canisters 24 are filled with drinksupply and a sufficient volume of CO₂ gas or other pressurized gas orair to provide an internal pressure sufficient to enable the drinksupply outlet valve 66 to maintain such a seal during shipment and priorto use. The pressure and temperature conditions suitable for the drinksupply outlet valve to maintain such seal will vary depending on thesize and shape of the drink supply canister. In one preferredembodiment, the pressure maintained in the drink supply canister isapproximately ten (10) PSI during shipment and approximately fifteen(15) PSI when inserted into the drink supply canister holder to maintaina consistent flow of beverage through the drink supply outlet valve. Inthis embodiment, when the spout 76 is displaced in a horizontal orsubstantially horizontal fashion as described below, the sealing member74 unseats, and drink supply outlet valve 72 opens and enables thepressurized drink supply to flow through the spout 76. It should beappreciated that other suitable actuatable drink supply outlet valvesmay be employed in the drink supply canisters of the present inventionas further discussed below. It should also be appreciated that the drinksupply outlet valve can be removably attached to the body of the drinksupply canister.

In this embodiment of the drink outlet valve 66, one or more drinksupply outlet valve actuators 78 are suitably mounted to the bottom ofor adjacent to the drink canister support 42 to co-act with the drinksupply outlet valves. The drink supply outlet valve actuators 78 caninclude any suitable mechanical or electromechanical actuating device,such as a solenoid 80 connected to an extension piston, pin or rod orother valve engager or engagement member 82. In the illustratedembodiment, when a user activates a beverage requester 36, thecontroller 38 (described below) causes the appropriate drink supplyoutlet valve actuator 78 to engage and displace spout 76 for apredetermined period of time, which in turn causes the drink supply toflow from the drink supply canister 24 as specifically illustrated inFIGS. 7, 11B and 17 and discussed below. After the predetermined timeperiod elapses, the drink supply outlet valve actuator 78 disengagesspout 76, stopping the flow of the drink supply from the drink supplycanister 24.

Fluid Director

One embodiment of the beverage dispenser of the present invention, asseen in FIG. 2, includes a fluid director such as the fluid director 34of the beverage dispenser 10. The fluid director 34 is adapted tosimultaneously receive the flow of drink supply from the drink supplycanisters 24 and also carbonated or non-carbonated water from the watersupplier 26. The fluid director 34 is made from a suitable plastic orpolymer such as food grade plastic materials, such as by injectionmolding, although it could be made from other suitable materials andformed in suitable other manners. The fluid director 34 includes atleast one, and in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11A, 11B, 12,13, 14, 15 and 16 a plurality of walls 92, which define and separate thechannels 84. The separate channels 84 in the fluid director 34 separatethe different drink supplies from one another to preventcross-contamination which occurs when different types of beverages mix.Preferably, at any one time, when a user operates the dispensingapparatus 10, only one channel 84 of the fluid director 34 is used. Inoperation, the drink supply mixes with the carbonated or non-carbonatedwater in one of the channels 84 in the fluid director 34, and the fluiddirector 34 directs the mixture into the beverage container or collector32 in the beverage container compartment 30 (see FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 6 and7). The fluid director 34 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10,11A, 11B, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 includes four chambers or channels 84.In one embodiment, each channel 84 acts as a Venturi tube or passagewaywhich includes a channel entrance 86, throat 88 and a channel exit 90,as specifically illustrated in FIG. 16. In one embodiment, the area ofthe channel entrance 86 is generally larger than the area of the channelexit 90. The channels are sufficiently sized to enable the drink supplyand the water to sufficiently mix to form the beverage. The fluiddirector 34 is thus constructed with predetermined dimensions and apredetermined shape to enable the typical beverage supply to mixsufficiently with the water and to facilitate control of the beveragebrix ratios by suitably adjusting the pressure and flow rate of drinksupply and water. It should be appreciated that the fluid director couldalternatively include a plurality of separate or non-integral chambers,funnels, passageways or fluid communication lines as illustrated in FIG.28 and further discussed below.

In one embodiment, the fluid director 34 is adapted to be removed fromthe refrigerator primarily to enable a user to clean the fluid director.In one embodiment of the present invention, the beverage dispenser 10includes a fluid director access door 94 pivotally or otherwise movablyconnected to the exterior of freezer compartment door as generallyillustrated in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7. When the fluid director accessdoor 94 is opened, a user can remove the fluid director 34 asillustrated in FIG. 5. The fluid director can be cleaned by hand orautomatically, such as in a household dishwasher. The fluid director 34is secured within the refrigerator through the use of one or more slots(not shown). Alternatively, the beverage dispenser may include one ormore locks for securing the fluid director and fluid director accessdoor. In one alternative embodiment, the fluid director includesalignment or mating features such as an edge with a grooved surfacewhich is adapted to line up with grooved slots in the refrigerator tocreate a secure snap fit connection. It should be appreciated that thefluid director access door may be on the interior of the freezercompartment. It should further be appreciated that the beveragedispenser including the fluid director may also be in the refrigeratordoor.

Water Supplier

The water supplier 26 provides carbonated and non-carbonated water forproducing the beverages. In one embodiment, part of the water supplieris located in the lower portion of the refrigerator 12 as illustrated inFIG. 2. In one embodiment, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 3, thewater supplier 26 generally includes a water filter 96, a water pump 98,a two-way water valve 100, a water pressure regulator 102, a suitablewater storage or holding tank 104, a carbonation tank 106, a coldtransfer device 108, a carbonated fluid communication water line orconduit 110 and a non-carbonated fluid communication or water line orconduit 112. The water supplier 26 is preferably connected to adrinkable water source, such as a conventional cold water sourceavailable in residential kitchens.

In operation, the water passes through the water filter 96 into thewater pump 98. The water filter 96 preferably removes chlorine andmoderate particles from the water to enhance and establish a consistentflavor of the water which is important for maintaining consistency inthe dispensed beverages. It should be appreciated that other suitablewater filter, filtration or purification systems may be used inconjunction with the present invention to provide a consistent taste tothe beverages. The water pump 98 may be any suitable water pump such asa commercially available 115V AC pump which preferably regulates thewater pressure to approximately ninety-five (95) pounds PSI. The waterpump 98 pumps the water to the two-way water valve 100. The two-waywater valve 100 directs the water to the holding tank 104 and thecarbonation tank 106. The water pressure regulator 102 preferablydecreases the water pressure in the holding tank 104 to a manageablewater pressure of approximately fifty (50) PSI. The water pressureregulator may be any suitable regulator such as a commercially available50 PSI regulator. It should be appreciated that the water pump may beconnected to the water lines by suitable quick disconnect connections asillustrated in FIG. 24D discussed below.

The holding tank 104 preferably stores a sufficient supply ofnon-carbonated water. The refrigerator 12 maintains this reserve watersupply at a relatively low temperature and preferably about forty-five(45) degrees Fahrenheit or less (but not less than thirty-eight (38)degrees Fahrenheit). In this embodiment, the water supply from theholding tank 104 is used if a user requests the dispensing apparatus todispense non-carbonated water alone or if the dispensing apparatus 10requires substantial amounts of non-carbonated water.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the carbonation tank 106 is, in oneembodiment, connected to the gas supplier 28. The carbonation tank 106uses CO₂ gas obtained from the gas supplier 28 to carbonate the water.The carbonation tank 106 can include any suitable tank or encasementadapted to withstand the pressure of the CO₂ gas provided by the gassupplier 28 and the carbonated water. The carbonation tank 106preferably includes a conventional safety valve (not shown) whichexhausts the necessary amount of pressure in the carbonation tank 106when the pressure inside carbonation tank 106 exceeds a predeterminedpressure. The safety valve closes when the pressure inside thecarbonation tank 106 is below or reaches a predetermined pressure. Thecarbonation tank 106 also preferably includes a conventional back flowpreventer (not shown) which prevents the carbonated water from flowingbackward to the water source.

The non-carbonated water from the holding tank 104 and the carbonatedwater from the carbonation tank 106 preferably pass through a coldtransfer device 108 (or alternatively receive chilled water via therefrigerator reserve water supply (not shown), preferably chilled atthirty-eight (38) to forty-five (45) degrees Fahrenheit in separatefluid communication lines or conduits). The cold transfer device 108decreases the temperature of the water so that the resulting mixture ofthe drink supply and carbonated water (i.e., the beverage) maintains arelatively high level of carbonation for optimal drinking enjoyment. Inone embodiment, the cold transfer device 108 is a conventional devicewhich includes one or more tubes or lines (not shown) which are routedthrough a conventional cooling device (not shown). Preferably, the tubesare constructed of aluminum or steel. The cold transfer device 108 maybe constructed of any suitable size or shape, such as eight (8) inchesby twelve (12) inches by two (2) inches.

In one embodiment, the carbonated water supply line 110 and thenon-carbonated water supply line 112 are each separately mounted atleast partially above the fluid director 34 and below the drink supplycanister 22 holder as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 10, 11A, 11B, 12, 13, and24A to 24C. In one embodiment, the water supplier 26 includes aplurality of separate or individual carbonated water valves 114 andnon-carbonated water valves 116. The carbonated water valves 114 areconnected to the carbonated water line 110, and the non-carbonated watervalves 116 are connected to the non-carbonated water line 112. In onealternative embodiment, which is illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11A, 11B, 12and 13, a suitable water valve actuator 118 is connected to or mountedadjacent to each carbonated water valve 114 and each non-carbonatedwater valve 116. In one embodiment, the water valve actuator 118 includea conventional mechanical actuator (not shown) coupled to a conventionalelectrical activator (not shown).

In this embodiment, one carbonated water line and associated water valveand one non-carbonated water line and associated water valve isassociated with each drink supply canister held by the drink supplycanister holder. It should be appreciated that, at any one time onlycarbonated water or only non-carbonated water may be distributed to oneor more designated slots for drink supply canisters because suchcontainers are designated to produce only carbonated drinks ornon-carbonated drinks, respectively.

When a user activates a beverage requester 36, the controller 38 sends asignal to the appropriate water valve actuator 118 to cause theappropriate carbonated water valve 114 or the appropriate non-carbonatedwater valve 116 associated with the desired drink supply canister toopen. The water valve actuator 118 keeps the valve open for apredetermined time period, preferably simultaneous with the opening ofthe drink supply outlet valve in the drink supply canister as describedherein. After such time period elapses, the actuator 118 causes orallows the appropriate valve 114 or 116 to close. As mentioned above, itshould be appreciated that the beverage dispenser of the presentinvention could be adapted to open the drink supply outlet valve and thecarbonated water valve or the non-carbonated water valve beginningsimultaneously at the time the user activates the beverage requester andcontinuing until the user releases or deactivates the beveragedispenser. This embodiment enables the user to determine the amount ofbeverage, dispensed instead of predetermined or fixed amounts beingdispensed.

In one alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14, the carbonatedwater line 110 is connected to a single multi-way carbonated water valve120, and the non-carbonated water line 112 is connected to a singlemulti-way non-carbonated water valve 122. When a user activates abeverage requester 36, the actuator 118 causes one of the multi-wayvalves to open and direct water to one of a plurality of channels 84 ofthe fluid director for a predetermined time period. It should beappreciated that any suitable device may alternatively be employed toappropriately direct the water and that the multiway valves may beemployed in conjunction with the embodiments described herein which donot include a fluid director.

Water Dispenser of the Water Supplier

One embodiment of the present invention includes at least one andpreferably a plurality of water dispensers for dispensing carbonated andnon-carbonated water. The water dispensers facilitate and enhance themixing process of the drink supply and the water, and particularly theconsistency and quality of the water-drink supply mixture.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, in one embodiment, each water dispenser is inthe form of a water tube or water ring 124 disposed between andconnected to the carbonated water line 110 and the non-carbonated waterline 112. In one embodiment including the fluid director, the waterrings 124 are positioned over each channel entrance 86 of the fluiddirector 34 as generally illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11A, 11B, 12 and 13(all illustrating one of the water rings positioned above each channel).Depending on the request by the user (using the beverage dispenser) andthe type of beverage to be dispensed, either the non-carbonated watervalve 116 or the carbonated water valve 114 will be opened to causenon-carbonated water or carbonated water to flow into the appropriatewater ring 124. The water ring 124 directs the water into theappropriate channel 84 of the fluid director 34 in the embodiment havingthe fluid director. In one embodiment, the water ring 124 is asubstantially cylindrical tubular member (preferably made frompolyvinylchloride (“PVC”) which defines a central aperture 125. In theembodiment having the fluid director, the drink supply from theappropriate drink supply canister is directed into the channel 84 of thefluid director 34 through the aperture 125, as illustrated in FIGS. 11Band 13. In the embodiment without the fluid director, as seen in FIG.29, the drink supply from the appropriate drink supply canister 24 isdirected directly into the beverage container through the aperture 125.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 11B and 13, the water ring 124 includes aplurality of relatively small openings or orifices 127 along its bottomor inner circumference. The orifices are preferably located on the innerdiameter of the center of the water ring 124 preferably at a seventy(70) degree angle from the horizontal plane defined by the water ring.When water flows into the water ring from the water line 110 or 112, thewater is directed through the orifices 127, forming a relatively evenlydistributed circular spray of water. This circular spray completelysurrounds the stream of drink supply which flows through the centralaperture 125. The drink supply stream which in one embodiment issubstantially cylindrical in shape, including a substantiallycylindrical stream wall. The spray of the water streams from the waterring strikes and interacts with or penetrates this stream wall at aplurality of positions along the circumference of the drink supplystream wall. In this embodiment, there are a plurality of such positionswhich are approximately uniformly spaced about the entire circumferenceof the drink supply stream wall. In one alternative embodiment, thereare at least four of such positions separated from one another byapproximately ninety (90) degrees to provide sufficient penetration andmixture. It should be appreciated that other positions or arrangementsmay be employed in accordance with the present invention.

In a further embodiment, as discussed below in relation to FIG. 29, thewater ring 124 a includes a plurality of water injectors 125 a fordirecting the carbonated or non-carbonated water into the drink supplystream. The water injectors 125 a determine the approximate positionsalong the drink supply stream wall which will receive a flow orinjection of water. The water injectors 125 a also determine or controlthe angle at which the water will flow out of the water ring 124 a. Thespecific water pressure, canister pressure, shape and dimension of thewater ring and water injectors and the angular orientation of the waterinjectors all affect the water-drink supply mixing process. Thesefactors or variables can be determined so as to establish a relativelyhigh quality and reliable mixing process.

As specifically illustrated in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the drink supplyoutlet valve 66 of the drink supply canister 24 is positioned above thecentral aperture of the water ring 124 to direct the drink supply intothe channel 84 through the central aperture 125 in the water ring 124.In an alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 29, the drink supplycanister is positioned offset from the water ring 124 a (see FIG. 29).When the drink supply outlet valve actuator 78 engages the drink supplyoutlet valve 66, the drink supply is directed through the centralaperture of the water ring (as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 29).

In one alternative embodiment, the carbonated water lines and valves areconnected to a single water dispenser (not shown). The water dispenserincludes internal walls which form separate sections for each carbonatedwater valve. The non-carbonated water line and valves are also connectedto a single water dispenser (not shown). This water dispenser includesinternal walls which form separate sections for each non-carbonatedwater valve. In a further alternative embodiment, a plurality of waterrings (not shown) are connected or joined, forming a single member whichdistributes water in the same manner as if the water rings wereseparated. In a further alternative embodiment, the water dispenserincludes opposing water injectors connected to the valves which directcarbonated and non-carbonated water in the appropriate direction to mixwith the drink supply from the drink supply canisters.

It should be appreciated that the water dispenser or water tube of thepresent invention does not have to be circular, cylindrical orsubstantially cylindrical. The water tube of the present invention maybe any suitable shape. For instance, the water tube 124 c may not becompletely circular as illustrated in FIG. 11C. The water tube 124 d mayalso, for instance, be semicircular as illustrated in FIG. 11D.Preferably, the water tube does not include sharp turns which tend tocause turbulence in the water tube and unequal dispensing of the water.

Gas Supplier

The gas supplier, in one embodiment of the beverage dispenser,facilitates the steady and consistent dispensing of the drink supplyfrom the drink supply canister. As dispensing occurs, the gas supplierensures that the drink supply flow rate out of the drink supply canisterdoes not substantially change even though the volume of drink supply inthe drink supply canister is steadily decreasing. The gas supplierapplies a pressure to the inside of the drink supply canisters which iscontrolled by one or more regulators which adjust the gas pressure asnecessary to produce this steady drink supply flow rate. The controlover the flow rate enables the beverage dispenser of the presentinvention to control the brix or ratio of drink supply and carbonated ornon-carbonated water.

One embodiment of the gas supplier 28 of the beverage dispenser 10includes one or more, and preferably a plurality of gas supply canisters126 which contain CO₂ gas, as generally illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 22and 23. In one embodiment, the gas supply canisters 126 are cylindricalin shape, although the gas supply canisters may be any suitable shape.The gas supply canisters may be constructed from any suitable materialhaving a wall thickness suitable for the storage of gas in theapproximate pressure range of eight hundred (800) to one thousand (1000)PSI. The gas supply canisters preferably include a suitable gas canistervalve (not shown) for allowing the release of the CO₂ gas from the gassupply canister.

In one embodiment, the gas supply canisters 126 hold one hundred (100)grams or less, and preferably seventy-eight (78) grams or less of CO₂gas. Certain shipping regulations allow a plurality of CO₂ supplycanisters, each holding seventy-eight (78) grams or less of CO₂, to beshipped in the same box or package. Thus, in this embodiment, severalCO₂ gas supply canisters can be shipped to a user in a single package.It should be appreciated that the gas supply canister size, shape andmaterial can vary to accommodate various shipping regulations andmanufacturing and distribution methods.

In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 22, thegas supplier includes a gas supply canister holder or frame 128 which ispreferably attached to or mounted in the interior in a secure lockablelocation out of children's reach and adapted to hold the gas supplycanisters 126. Each gas supply canister 126 includes a gas canistervalve 130 as also illustrated in FIG. 3 for facilitating release of theCO₂ gas from the gas supply canisters. The gas supplier 28 includes agas manifold 132 connected to the gas supply canister holder or frame128 and adapted to direct the gas to a gas pressure regulator 134 and atwo-way gas valve 136. The gas manifold 132 can be any suitableencasement or reservoir, preferably adapted to hold CO₂ gas at a maximumpressure of one thousand (1000) PSI, and preferably at least eighthundred (800) PSI. When a gas supply canister is connected to the gasmanifold, the gas manifolds equalizes or substantially equalizes thepressurized gas provided by each gas supply canister and provides asingle stream of gas.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 22, the gas manifold 132 includesa plurality of gas manifold valves 138. Each gas supply canister 126 isadapted to be connected to one of the gas manifold valves 138 in anysuitable manner such as by a threaded connection. The gas manifold 132is intended to provide a sufficient quantity or volume of carbon-dioxidegas to the carbonation tank 106. In this embodiment, the CO₂ gas istransferred via flexible braided tubing (not shown) providing aconsistent inescapable supply of CO₂ gas to both the carbonation tank106 as well as the drink supply canisters 24. The gas manifold 132connected to the gas supply canisters is preferably a conventional safetransfer device that provides consistent low pressure flow to the drinksupply canisters.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 23, a gas supply canisterbinder 140 is adapted to join, bind or connect a plurality of gas supplycanisters 126. The gas supply canister binder 140 can include a plasticor polymer-based template adapted to snap-fit on the plurality of gassupply canisters 126. It should be appreciated that the gas supplycanister binder 140 could alternatively include any device whichsuitably joins or connects two or more gas supply canisters 126. Gassupply canister binder 140 maintains a pre-determined distance betweeneach gas supply canister and also enables a user to conveniently installa plurality of gas supply canisters 126 as a single unit. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 23, the connected gas supply canisters126 are connected to the manifold by a sliding, slotted or snapmechanism.

In one step, by inserting the pack of connected gas supply canisters 126into the gas supply canister holder 128, the user opens all of the gassupply canister valves 130 a and gas manifold valves 138 a. After thepack is connected to the manifold 132 a, the gas flows from the gassupply canisters 126 into the gas manifold 132 a.

In one embodiment, the gas pressure regulator 134 is a conventionalregulator adapted to reduce CO₂ gas pressure to levels in theapproximate pressure range between ten (10) and eighty (80) PSI. Thetwo-way gas valve 136 is connected to gas lines 142 a and 142 b. Gasline 142 a communicates gas to the drink supply canisters 24, and gasline 142 b communicates gas to the water supplier 26.

Referring back to FIGS. 8 and 9, gas line 142 a is connected to a gasconduit 144. In this embodiment, the gas conduit 144 is connected to oneor more, and preferably a plurality of gas feed lines 146 a to 146 d.Each gas feed line is connected to one of the tubular gas injectors 148a to 148 d which extend through the drink supply canister securingmember 48. When the drink supply canister securing member 48 is closed,gas injectors 148 a to 148 d engage drink supply canisters 24 andcommunicate gas to the drink supply canisters through the gas inletvalves of the canisters.

In one embodiment further illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21, the gassupplier valve 54 includes a tubular guide member 151 which is adaptedto engage the drink supply canister to prevent gas from escaping, andgas supplier valves 54 a to 54 d are housed within these guide membersand connected to the gas feed lines 146 a to 146 d. Each gas suppliervalve in this embodiment includes a sealing member 150 and a spring 152.

To enable the drink supply canister securing member 48 to open andclose, gas feed lines 146 a, 146 b, 146 c and 146 d are preferably anysuitable flexible communication line such as a rubber, polymer or coiledaluminum connector or hose. Alternatively, the connection between gasline 142 a and gas conduits 146 a to 146 d can be any suitable rotatableor movable connection. It should also be appreciated that the drinksupply canister holder may be alternatively constructed such that thegas feed lines are stationary and the drink supply canisters arepositioned to engage the feed lines.

As illustrated in FIGS. 22 and 23, the gas supply canisters 126 of thegas supplier 28 are filled with gas in any suitable manner. In oneembodiment, the gas supply canisters 126 are filled with gas bydirecting gas through the gas canister valves 130. In anotherembodiment, a valve is constructed within a wall of the gas supplycanister for gas filling purposes. This valve may have only a one-timeuse or it may be used repeatedly for the purpose of refilling used gassupply canisters. It should be appreciated that, instead of obtaininggas from gas supply canisters for pressurizing the drink supplycanisters 24, an air or gas compressor or generator (not shown) can beconnected to the gas line 142 a to provide pressurized air or gas forthe pressurization of the drink supply canisters 24.

As mentioned above, gas line 142 b is connected to the carbonation tank106, to direct CO₂ gas to produce carbonated water. As described above,the interaction of the CO₂ gas and non-carbonated water createscarbonated water in a conventional manner.

In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 24A, 24B, 24C and24D, the gas supplier 28 a includes a gas supply canister 126 which ismounted directly to gas line 142 a and positioned adjacent to the drinksupply canister holder 22. The gas supply canister 126 is connected to agas pressure regulator 134, a gas manifold 132 and a two-way gas valve136. The two-way gas valve 136 is connected to gas line 142 a and gasline 142 b. As indicated above, gas line 142 a directs CO₂ gas to gasconduit 144 (see FIGS. 9 and 24A), gas feed lines 146 a, 146 b, 146 cand 146 d and ultimately to the drink supply canisters 24. As indicatedabove, gas line 142 b directs gas to the carbonation tank 106 for theproduction of carbonated water. In this embodiment, a user can accessthe gas supply canister 126 by opening drink supply canister access door40 (see FIGS. 1, 4 and 5). It should be appreciated that other suitablemechanisms may be employed to enable a user to access the gas supplycanister(s).

It should further be appreciated from FIGS. 24A, 24B, 24C and 24D thatthe water is supplied from a water source which travels through a waterfilter 96 and a water pump 98 to the carbonation tank 106 as describedabove. The carbonation tank 106 mixes the water and the CO₂ gas to formcarbonated water which is supplied via the carbonated water fluidcommunication line 110 to the water dispensers. It should also beappreciated that the water source provides non-carbonated water throughthe non-carbonated fluid communication line 112 to the water dispensersas described above.

As illustrated in FIGS. 24B, 24C and 24D, in one preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, the water pump 98 is connected to the system byconventional quick disconnect connections 99 a and 99 b. Theseconnections facilitate the assembly of the water supplier and any repairor replacement necessary of the water pump. It should further beappreciated that quick disconnect connections may also be employed forthe water filter and one or more other components of the beveragedispenser.

In an alternative embodiment, a gas supply canister (not shown) isdirectly connected to each drink supply canister. The gas supplycanister can be connected to the drink supply canister in any suitablefashion, such as a press fit, threadable engagement or a suitableconnection. In addition, the connection can involve suitable valvesconstructed within the drink supply canister and the gas supplycanister. In this embodiment, a separate supply of gas can be used forproducing the carbonated water. This gas supply can be connecteddirectly to the carbonation tank.

Valves and Valve Actuators

As illustrated in FIG. 11A and as described above, one embodiment of thedispensing apparatus 10 includes a plurality of valves and valveactuators, including the drink supply outlet valves 66, carbonated watervalves 114 and non-carbonated water valves 116. In one embodiment, eachvalve is adapted to be activated by a valve actuator. In one embodiment,drink supply outlet valve actuators 78 are used to activate the drinksupply outlet valves 66, and the water valve actuators 118 are used toactivate the carbonated water valves 114 and the non-carbonated valves116.

In one embodiment, the drink supply outlet valve actuator 78 includes anextension rod 82 extending from a solenoid adapted to engage the spout76 to cause the sealing member 74 to unseat as indicated above andillustrated in FIGS. 11B and 17. When the spout 76 is engaged by theactuator 78, the pressurized drink supply is released through the drinksupply outlet valve 66 of the drink supply canister 24 and is directedthrough the central aperture 125 in the water ring 124 into theappropriate channel 84 of the fluid director 34 (in the embodimenthaving the fluid director). Simultaneously, the appropriate actuator 118is activated to cause the carbonated water valve 114 or thenon-carbonated water valve 116 to open. Carbonated or non-carbonatedwater is directed into the same channel 84 of the fluid director 34 (inthe embodiment having the fluid director) as described above andspecifically illustrated in FIGS. 11B and 13.

The drink supply outlet valve and the drink supply outlet valve actuatorco-act to cause the appropriate amount of drink supply to be dispensed.It should be appreciated that alternative embodiments of the drinksupply outlet valve and the drink supply outlet valve actuator may beemployed in the beverage dispenser in accordance with the presentinvention. One such alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 37Ato 37F and discussed below.

Controller

One embodiment of the present invention includes a controller 38including a computer and electronic components and connections asillustrated in FIG. 3. The computer includes at least one processor 156and one or more memory devices 158. Preferably, the controller 38 ishoused within the refrigerator 12, however it should be appreciated thatit can be located outside the refrigerator 12. In such case, electricalcommunication lines or wire communication are preferably used tofacilitate communication between the controller 38, the actuators andother components housed within the refrigerator 12. Alternatively,wireless communication may be employed.

In one embodiment, the memory devices 158 are adapted to store data andat least one actuator program. The actuator program provides theprocessor 158 with instructions for controlling the operation of thevalve actuators. The actuator program enables the processor tosynchronize the operation of the actuators which controls the openingand closing of the valves in response to inputs. An input could be, forexample, a signal generated when a user activates or pushes one of thebeverage requesters 36. The actuator program also provides the processorwith instructions for controlling the duration during which variousvalves remain open.

It should be appreciated that the dispensing apparatus of the presentinvention can be adapted to receive and store data associated withpredetermined drink supplies or beverages. The processor 156 can usethis data in conjunction with the actuator program to produce beveragesin accordance with predetermined specifications. For example, certainbeverages may require different percentages of drink supply andcarbonated water, certain beverages may require different percentages ofdrink supply and non-carbonated water, and certain beverages may requiredifferent percentages of drink supply and carbonated and non-carbonatedwater (to vary the level of carbonation). This information or data canbe loaded and stored in the memory device for the production of specificbeverages.

In the embodiment where the beverage dispenser includes an input devicesuch as a touch screen, the beverage dispensing system of the presentinvention may enable a user to input the type of drink supply and theposition of the drink supply such that the controller knows or candetermine the appropriate brix ratio. It should be appreciated that thepresent invention can alternatively include at least one reader orsensor (not shown) for determining the type of drink supply from a labelor other readable device on the drink supply canister.

In one further embodiment of the present invention, the beveragedispenser includes an optical sensor or any other suitable type ofsensor (not shown). The sensor is connected to the controller. Thesensor detects when a cup or beverage container is in the beveragecontainer compartment. If the beverage container is at a position in thecompartment, the controller will enable the valve actuators to function.This prevents the valve actuators from causing the drink supply and thewater to be dispensed when a beverage cup or beverage container is notpresent in the beverage dispensing compartment or in the correctposition in the beverage dispensing compartment. Referring back to theembodiment illustrated in FIGS. 24B and 24C, the user must place thebeverage container beneath the desired beverage requester 37 a to 37 din order to obtain a desired beverage. The beverage dispenser mayinclude a plurality of optical sensors, one associated with eachbeverage requester. These sensors can detect if a beverage container isproperly located beneath the particular beverage requester pushed by auser. Such sensors are designed to prevent beverage waste.

Further Alternative Embodiments

In one alternative embodiment of the present invention, illustrated inFIG. 25, beverage dispenser 10 a includes a drink supply canister holder22 a which is pivotally mounted within the refrigerator 12 a. The drinkcanister access door 40 a is rigidly connected to the drink supplycanister holder 22 a, and functions as a handle for accessing the drinksupply canister holder 22 a. A user can tilt or rotate the drink supplycanister holder 22 a by pulling on the upper portion of the drinkcanister access door 40 a. It should be appreciated that the drinksupply canister securing member (not shown) of the canister holder 22 ais preferably separated from the canister holder 22 a. The securingmember (not shown) is mounted within the refrigerator in such a mannerthat when the canister holder 22 a is tilted outwardly, the securingmember (not shown) disengages the canister holder 22 a. When a userpivots canister holder 22 a back to a vertical position, the securingmember (not shown) automatically engages the canister holder 22 a aswell as the drink supply canisters 24 therein. As the securing memberengages the drink supply canisters, CO₂ gas or pressurized air flowsinto the canister for the purpose of delivering pressure for thedispensing of the drink supply as described above. It should beappreciated that the drink supply canister holder of the presentinvention may be removably mounted in the freezer or refrigeratorcompartment.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 26, the beverage dispenser 10b includes a drink supply canister access door 40 b which is slidablymounted to the exterior of or in the freezer compartment door 14 b. Auser can open the drink supply canister access door 40 b by sliding itupwardly to an open position as illustrated in FIG. 26. Through the useof one or more conventional springs or other suitable mechanisms, thedoor will remain in the open position until a user closes it. It shouldalso be appreciated that the drink supply canister holder mayalternatively be constructed as a slidable draw mechanism to facilitateaccess to the drink container.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that the fluid director access doormay be alternatively constructed for the embodiment including the fluiddirector. For instance, the fluid director access door may be connectedto a drawer member (not shown). The drawer member may be horizontallyand slidably mounted within the refrigerator. The fluid director issupported by the drawer member and fits within one or more slotsincluded in the drawer member. When a user pulls out the drawer member,the fluid director becomes accessible to a user. A user can remove thefluid director from the drawer member, clean it and replace it.

It should also be appreciated that the fluid director may takealternative forms. In one example alternative embodiment illustrated inFIG. 27, the fluid director 34 a has a plurality of channels 84 a whicheach include a carbonated water inlet 160 a to 160 d and anon-carbonated water inlet 162 a to 162 d, respectively. The channels 84a, separated by walls 92, are adapted to receive drink supply,carbonated water, non-carbonated water and other fluids in the channelentrance to enable the incoming fluids to mix or interact as they travelthrough the throat and then flow through channel exit area into acollector or container.

In another alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 28, the fluiddirector 34 b has a plurality of individual channels 84 a, 84 b, 84 cand 84 d. Each individual channel is connected to an outlet 85 b whichdirects the beverage into a container 32. It should be appreciated thateach of the separate or individual beverage channels 84 a, 84 b, 84 cand 84 d may be separately removed for cleaning, repair and replacementpurposes.

Gas Injector

One alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a gasinjector adapted to directly inject the CO₂ gas or other suitable gasinto the drink supply canisters to adequately pressurize the drinksupply canisters as generally illustrated in FIGS. 30A and 30B.

In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 30A, the gas supplier includes agas injector 148 a which includes a gas injection pin 149 which isadapted to pierce a surface of the drink supply canister 24 a to injectgas into the drink supply canister 24 a. The portion of the drink supplycanister 24 a which is pierced functions as the gas inlet valve of thedrink supply canister 24 a. This engagement prevents gas from escapingthe drink supply canister. In a further embodiment illustrated in FIG.30B, the drink supply canister 24 b includes a grommet or other suitablegas inlet valve 64 b which is adapted to receive a gas injection pin 149of a gas injector 148 b. This functions to pressurize the drink supplycontainer 24 b.

Operation

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 11B and 31, to operate the embodiment ofthe beverage dispensing apparatus of the present invention whichincludes a fluid director (as described above), a user installs at leastone drink supply canister 24 into the refrigerator 12, by opening thedrink supply canister access door or compartment 40 and placing thedrink supply canister 24 into drink supply canister holder 22 asindicated by block 164. The gas supplier pressurizes the drink supply inthe drink supply canisters 24 as indicated by block 166 using the gassupplied by the gas supplier as indicated in block 170. The watersupplier 26 provides a supply of water (preferably including bothcarbonated and non-carbonated water), available for delivery to thefluid director 34 as indicated by block 168. The gas supplier 28 routesgas to the carbonation tank 106 of the water supplier 26 and preferablyroutes gas to the drink supply canisters containers 24, as indicated byblock 170.

When a user provides an input, for example, by pushing one of thebeverage requesters 36, the controller sends a signal to the appropriatevalve actuators for causing the appropriate valves to open forpredetermined periods of time, causing the drink supply and water toflow into at least one channel 84 of the fluid director 34, as indicatedby block 172. The drink supply-water mixture flows through channel 84and into a beverage container 32, as indicated by block 174. A user canthen drink and enjoy the desired beverage, as indicated by block 176. Itshould be appreciated that the same general process will apply to theembodiments without the fluid director, wherein the drink supply andcarbonated or non-carbonated water are mixed on the fly and directedinto the beverage container.

It should also be appreciated that the beverage requesters couldalternatively enable the user to control the volume of beveragedispensed by the amount of time the user activates the beveragedispenser (such by pushing a mechanical beverage requester button) or byinputting a volume amount (such as selecting one of a four (4) ouncebeverage container indicator, eight (8) ounce beverage containerindicator, twenty (20) ounce beverage container indicator, ortwenty-four (24) ounce beverage container indicator on a beveragerequester in the form of an input screen or touch screen.

Alternative Embodiment Without Fluid Director

As mentioned above and as generally illustrated in FIGS. 24B, 24C and29, one preferred alternative embodiment of the beverage dispenser ofthe present invention, generally indicated by numeral 10 a, does notemploy a fluid director. The beverage dispenser 10 a of this embodimentdirectly dispenses the drink supply and the carbonated or non-carbonatedwater into the beverage containers or collectors 32. The beveragedispenser 10 a is adapted to be mounted in a housing and preferably in arefrigerator as described above with respect to beverage dispenser 10.

Generally, the beverage dispenser or beverage dispensing apparatus 10 aof this embodiment of the present invention includes: (a) a drinksupplier including a drink supply canister holder or frame 22 a forholding or maintaining at least one and preferably a plurality of drinksupply canisters 24 and drink supply valve actuators 78 for causing thedrink supply to be selectively released from the drink supply canisters24; (b) a water supplier 26 for selectively supplying carbonated waterand non-carbonated water for mixing or making the beverages; (c) a gassupplier 28 a for supplying CO₂ gas to carbonate the carbonated waterprovided by the water supplier 26, and for supplying CO₂ gas or otherpressurized air for pressurizing the drink supply canisters 24; (d) abeverage container compartment 30 for holding one or more beveragecollectors or containers 32 (such as a glass, cup or pitcher); (e) acontroller (not shown) for controlling and tracking the dispensing ofdrink supply and carbonated or non-carbonated water; and (f) one or moresuitable beverage requesters (not shown). In the embodiment illustratedin FIGS. 24B and 24C, the beverage requesters are conventional levers 37a, 37 b, 37 c and 37 d mounted in the beverage container compartment 30and are preferably in electronic communication with the controller (notshown). It should be appreciated that the beverage requestors couldalternatively be directly in communication with the valve actuators.Also, in other embodiments the beverage requesters can be levers whichare preferably spring-activated. When a user pushes a lever, thebeverage dispenser dispenses beverage into the user's beveragecontainer.

Generally, in operation, after the user installs the drink supplycanisters 24, the gas inlet valve 64 associated with each drink supplycanister 24 causes the CO₂ gas to flow from the gas supplier 28 a intothe drink supply canisters 24. This pressurizes the drink supplycanisters 24. When a user desires to obtain a beverage, the user makesthe user's request through the appropriate beverage requester 37 a, 37b, 37 c or 37 d which is connected to or in communication with thecontroller. Upon receiving a beverage dispense signal, the controllercauses the drink supply outlet valve actuator (not shown) to cause thedrink supply outlet valve (not shown) associated with the appropriatedrink supply canister 24 to open to dispense the appropriate amount ofdrink supply from that drink supply canister 24. This drink supplystream is directed downward into the beverage container 32.Simultaneously, the controller causes the water supplier 26 to directthe appropriate amount of carbonated or non-carbonated water through theappropriate water dispenser into the stream of the drink supply and intothe same beverage container 32 as specifically illustrated in phantom inFIG. 29. The drink supply stream and the carbonated or non-carbonatedwater stream mix on the fly while directed into the beverage container32. In one preferred embodiment, the beverage dispenser of the presentinvention includes a water dispenser or water ring associated with eachcanister and associated carbonated and non-carbonated water linesconnected to each water ring as discussed above.

In one embodiment, as seen in FIG. 29, the beverage collector 32 ispositioned with respect to the drink supply outlet valve 66 and waterdispenser 124 a in such a manner that the water streams 131 frominjectors 125 a contact the drink supply stream 129 at a location insidethe collector 32. The collision of the fluid streams occurring below thetop of the collector 32 minimizing the spilling, loss and splashing offluids. In this embodiment, it should be appreciated that the waterstreams 131 interact and mix with the drink supply stream 129,preferably in mid-air as well as within the collector 32 as the beveragerises to the top of the collector 32.

Alternative Embodiments of Drink Supply Canister Holder or Frame

It should be appreciated that the drink supply canister holder can beconstructed in several alternative manners. In one alternativeembodiment generally illustrated in FIGS. 32, 33, 34 and 35, the drinkcanister holder or frame 22 b is built into or constructed within therefrigerator compartment door 16, although it should be appreciated thatthe drink canister holder or frame 22 b could be built into the freezercompartment door or another part of the refrigerator or freezercompartments as discussed above. In this alternative embodiment, thedrink supply canisters are accessible from the interior of therefrigerator compartment door 16 to enable the users to replace thedrink supply canisters by opening the refrigerator door. In thisembodiment, the drink supply canister holder pivots inwardly to enable auser to replace the drink supply containers as generally illustrated inFIGS. 32 and 33.

In the embodiment of the drink supply canister holder 22 b illustratedin FIGS. 32, 33, 34 and 35, the drink supply canister holder 22 bincludes a drink canister support 42 b, an exterior drink supplycanister guide 44 b connected to the drink supply canister support 42 b,an interior drink supply canister guide 46 b connected to the drinksupply canister support 42 b and a drink supply canister securing member48 b. The drink supply canister support 42 b is pivotally connected tothe refrigerator door to facilitate the placement and removal of drinksupply canisters from the holder 22 b. The drink supply canister support42 b includes drink canister slots 50 a, 50 b, 50 c and 50 d,respectively, for receiving the drink supply canisters 24. Likewise,securing member 48 b includes a plurality of gas supplier valves 54 a,54 b, 54 c and 54 d which are part of the gas supplier 28. With respectto replacing drinks supply containers, this embodiment functions similarto the embodiments described above. When the securing member 48 bcloses, the canister slots fit over the drink supply canisters 24 andrestrict their movement and the gas supplier valves 54 a, 54 b, 54 c and54 d also engage the gas inlet valves in the drink supply canisters toenable CO₂ gas or other pressurized gas to flow into and pressurize thedrink supply canisters 24 as discussed above. This embodiment may alsoinclude co-acting mating members (not shown) which ensure that suitabledrink supply canisters are used in connection with the beveragedispenser.

A further alternative embodiment of the drink supply canister holder orframe is illustrated in FIGS. 36A to 36C. In this embodiment, the frame22 c includes a support member 178 for a plurality of independentlypivoting drink supply canister compartments 180, an exterior guide wall182 connected to the support member 178, opposing side guide walls 184 aand 184 b connected to the exterior guide wall 182 and support member178 and two spaced-apart opposing legs 186 a and 186 b connected to thesupport member 178. Each canister compartment 180 is adapted to receivea drink supply canister 24. Each canister compartment 180 includes acanister support 188 connected to two sets of spaced apart opposingcompartment walls 190. The canister support 188 includes an opening oraperture 190 which receives the drink supply outlet valve 66 of thedrink supply canister 24. The canister compartment 180 is sized toslidably receive the drink supply canisters 24. In the illustratedembodiment, a hinge 190 is employed to pivotally connect the canistercompartment 180 to the support member 178. It should be appreciated thatother suitable connections may be employed to facilitate easy access tothe compartments. Each canister compartment 180 is adapted toindependently pivot from an open or accessible position to a closed orusable position. The open position enables a user to easily remove anempty drink supply canister 24 and insert a new filled drink supplycanister 24. In the closed position, the drink supply canister 24 is ina useable position which enables the beverage dispenser of the presentinvention to cause the drink supply canister 24 to dispense the drinksupply. In this embodiment, the drink supply canisters 24 can bepre-pressurized, or the canister holder 22 c can include any device forsuitably connecting a gas line (not shown) to the drink supply canisters24 in order to pressurize the drink supply in the canisters 24 tofacilitate the steady and consistent dispensing of the drink supply fromthe drink supply canister as the volume of the drink supply in the drinksupply canister decreases.

A further alternative embodiment of the drink supply canister holder orframe is illustrated in FIG. 37B. This embodiment, which is similar tothe embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 36A to 36C, includes a drink supplycanister holder 22 d having a slot 196 formed in the opposing walls 192of each canister compartment 180 to facilitate the removal of the drinksupply canister 24 a from the drink supply canister holder 22 d.Additionally, drink supply canister holder 22 d includes a gas supplyand securing members 198 hingedly connected to the exterior guide wall(not shown) of the drink supply canister holder 22 d. Each gas supplyand securing member 198 is separately associated with a canistercompartment 180 is adapted to secure the drink supply canistercompartment and is adapted to provide a supply of gas to the drinksupply canister 24 a housed in such canister compartment 180 topressurize the drink supply canister. In one embodiment, the gas supplyand securing member 198 is a cover which, when closed, covers the upperend of the canister compartment 180. This gas supply and securing member198 includes a gas injector 148 a which is adapted to engage the gasinlet valve 64 c of the canister 24 a. In operation, a user opens thegas supply and securing member 198, outwardly tilts the drink supplycanister compartment and removes an empty drink supply canister 24 afrom the drink supply canister compartment 180. The user may then inserta full drink supply canister 24 a into the drink supply canistercompartment 180 and inwardly rotate the drink supply canistercompartment to the closed position. When the user closes the gas supplyand securing member 198, the beverage dispenser of the present inventionpressurizes the drink supply in the canister 24 a for the consistentdispensing of drink supply at a predetermined rate.

Water Supplier of the Alternative Embodiment

As described above, the water supplier provides carbonated andnon-carbonated water for mixing the beverages. In one embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 37A to 37F, the water supplier 26 a generallyincludes a water filter 96 a, a water pump 98 a, a cold transfer device108 a, a carbonation tank 106 a, a carbonated water line 110 a and anon-carbonated water line 112 a. The water supplier 26 a is connected toa drinkable water source (not shown), such as a conventional cold watersource available in residential kitchens. In operation, the water passesthrough the cold transfer device 108 a to reduce the temperature of thewater into the water pump 98 a. The water pump 98 a pumps the water tothe water filter 96 a. The water filter 96 a or a two-way connectionattached thereto routes the cooled water to the non-carbonated waterline 112 a and to the carbonation tank 106 a. The carbonation tank 106 ais suitably connected to the gas supplier through gas line 142 b. Thecarbonation tank 106 a uses CO₂ gas obtained from the gas supplier tocarbonate the water.

As described earlier, the carbonated water line 110 a and non-carbonatedwater line 112 a can be connected to water rings in such a manner thatthe water rings are positioned between carbonated water line 110 a andnon-carbonated water line 112 a. In this embodiment, however, the waterring 124 includes two connections for the water lines which areseparated by less than one hundred eighty (180) degrees along thecircumference of the water ring 124, and preferably less than ninety(90) degrees. Accordingly, the water lines 110 a and 112 a can bepositioned adjacent to one side of the water rings 124 b with relativelylittle space separating the carbonated water line 110 a and thenon-carbonated water line 112 a as illustrated in FIGS. 37A, 37B, 37C,37D and 37E.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 37C and 37D, the carbonated water line 110a is connected to a plurality of carbonated water valves 114 which arerespectively connected to and controlled by water valve actuators 118.Similarly, the non-carbonated water line 112 a is connected to aplurality of non-carbonated water valves 116 which are respectivelyconnected to and controlled by water valve actuators 118. This watersupplier embodiment provides the present invention with a more efficientspacing arrangement for the internal parts of the beverage dispenser ofthe present invention. Also, this water supplier embodiment provides arelatively simple construction for mixing drink supply with water whileproviding a substantial amount of space for the actuation of the drinksupply outlet vales.

Alternative Embodiment of Drink Supply Outlet Valve and Drink SupplyOutlet Valve Actuator

In one alternative embodiment of the present invention best illustratedin FIGS. 37B to 37E, each drink supply canister 24 a has a rotatabledrink supply outlet valve 66 b. The drink supply outlet valve 66 bincludes a connection member 202 which is connected to a rotatablemember 204. The connection member 202 preferably threadably connects thedrink supply outlet valve 202 to the drink supply canister 24 a. In theillustrated embodiment, rotatable member 204 preferably includes gearteeth.

In the illustrated embodiment, the drink supply outlet valve actuator 78a includes a motor 206 and a worm gear 208 attached to the motor 206. Inoperation, when the controller sends an “open” or “on” signal to thedrink supply outlet valve actuator 78 a, the motor 206 in turn causesthe worm gear 208 to rotate. The worm gear 208 which engages therotatable member 204 in turn causes the rotatable member to rotate tothe open position. As the rotatable member 204 rotates, the rotatablevalve 66 b opens, and pressurized drink supply flows out of the drinksupply canister 24 a for a predetermined period of time. When this timeperiod elapses, the controller sends a “Close” or “Off” signal to theactuator 78 a, and the motor 206 causes the worm gear 208 to rotate inthe opposite direction to close the rotatable valve 66 b, stopping theflow of the pressurized drink supply. Though only one actuator 78 a isillustrated in FIGS. 37B and 37C, it should be appreciated that thisembodiment includes a plurality of drink supply valve actuators 78 a,and preferably one for each drink supply canister 24 a, as illustratedin FIG. 37E. It should also be appreciated that other suitable actuatoror drive mechanisms may be employed to actuate such type of drink supplyoutlet valves.

It should be appreciated that the dispensing apparatus of the presentinvention, and particularly the controller of the beverage dispensingapparatus can be adapted to communicate electronically with any suitablecomputer distribution system or electronic network. In one embodiment,the controller electronically communicates with an order processingsystem through communication channels such as telephone lines, cablelines, wireless communications and the Internet. The order processingsystem is capable of receiving and processing orders which thecontroller transmits to the order processing system. Such orders relate,for instance, to supplies of drink supply canisters or gas supplycanisters, needed repairs and related delivery and distributioninformation. Other services may also be provided or facilitated by thecontroller.

The beverage dispenser of the present invention accordingly enablesusers to conveniently dispense carbonated and non-carbonated beveragesfrom residential refrigerators. This beverage dispenser has a highdegree of reliability and convenience because of its use of pressurabledrink supply canisters and computer-controlled valve actuators. Userscan conveniently install drink supply canisters and gas supplycontainers into the dispensing apparatus. The embodiment including thefluid director enables the users to conveniently maintain and clean thedispensing apparatus by providing a removable fluid director which canbe cleaned in a dishwasher. The embodiment in which the drink supplycontainer directly dispenses drink supply, preferably through the waterdispenser or water ring, provides a beverage dispenser which does notneed to be regularly cleaned because the dispensed liquids (i.e., waterand drink supply) are directly dispensed into the drink containers.Furthermore, such embodiment not only eliminates cleaning activities butdoes so without compromising the quality of the water-drink supplymixing process. This embodiment includes a water dispenser whichfacilitates effective fluid mixing on the fly. It should be appreciatedthat the present invention may be implemented in other appliances, incounter top beverage dispensing apparatus and in commercial refrigeratorand beverage dispensing apparatus.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis presently considered to be the most practical and preferredembodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary is intended to covervarious modifications and equivalent arrangements included within thespirit and scope of the claims. It is thus to be understood thatmodifications and variations in the present invention may be madewithout departing from the novel aspects of this invention as defined inthe claims, and that this application is to be limited only by the scopeof the claims.

1. A pressurizable drink supply canister for a beverage dispensingapparatus in a refrigerator, said pressurizable drink supply canistercomprising: a body adapted to hold a variable volume of a syrup drinksupply under pressure, the body having a plurality of ends, each of theends defining at least a first and a second opening respectively; a gasinlet valve mounted to a first one of the ends of the body, the gasinlet valve positioned at said first opening, the gas inlet valvehaving: (a) an open position which enables pressurized gas to flow intothe body to pressurize the syrup drink supply in the body: (b) a closedposition which blocks flow of the pressurized gas from the body throughthe gas inlet valve; (c) a biasing member which predisposes the gasinlet valve to have the closed position; and (d) at least one memberwhich, when actuated, causes the gas inlet valve to have the openposition thereby causing the pressurized gas to pressurize the syrupdrink supply; and a drink supply outlet valve coupled to said basehaving: a spout with a longitudinally extending through opening definedby opposite ends, one of the opposite ends communicating with the bodyof the canister through the second opening in the body and the other oneof the opposite ends of said spout through opening communicating with anexternal environment of the canister, the spout through opening beingsized and shaped so as to at least partially house a sealing memberengagable by the spout, the sealing member being displacable relative tothe canister between open and closed positions to respectively enablepressurized syrup drink supply to flow from the canister through thesecond opening in the body and to block pressurized syrup drink supplyto flow from the said second opening in the body.
 2. The pressurizabledrink supply canister of claim 1, wherein the gas inlet valve isremovably attached to the first end of the body.
 3. The pressurizabledrink supply canister of claim 1, wherein the gas inlet valve includesan umbrella valve.
 4. The pressurizable drink supply canister of claim1, wherein the gas inlet valve includes a grommet.
 5. The pressurizabledrink supply canister of claim 1, wherein the gas inlet valve includes apierceable sealing member.
 6. The pressurizable drink supply canister ofclaim 1, which includes a first mating member connected to the bodywhich is adapted to co-act with a second mating member of a drink supplycanister holder of the beverage dispensing apparatus.